Frank saw that the cowboy was well named, for he had quite a fiery
thatch; but his freckled face seemed one of the sort that invited
confidence, and Frank believed he would like the other right well. Of
course, Reddy was attired as all well-ordered cowboys should be. Will
was secretly wild for a chance to introduce him in some picture.

"It will give such a pleasing variety to our book of views, for we
haven't got a single cowboy in between the covers," he said in an aside
to Frank.

They followed up the valley for over an hour. The ranch was miles
removed from the railway, and surrounded by the wildest scenery the
boys could remember having looked upon, and that was saying a good deal,
after such a journey.

Martin Mabie was a widower, without any family. Still, he had a number
of women folks on the place, a sister keeping house for him, with a
Chinese cook to attend to the kitchen part of the establishment.

"Ain't this immense?" remarked Bluff, as he waited impatiently for the
men to carry the big trunk indoors, so that he could satisfy his soul
about the one object that had been worrying him ever since leaving
Centerville.

Somehow or other they seemed slow about doing this. The horses had to be
attended to first of all. Then there seemed to be some sort of
excitement in the neighborhood of the corral, for the boys noticed a
mounted cowboy come dashing up and jump from his steed, which was
blowing hard, as if from a rapid dash.